External communication system for vehicle

ABSTRACT

An external communication system for a vehicle includes communication devices and a controller. The communication devices are provided in the vehicle. The communication devices are configured to transmit and receive communication data between a server device and the vehicle via mutually different communication paths. The controller is configured to control communication by the communication devices. The communication devices include a first communication device and an inter-vehicle communication device. When the inter-vehicle communication device is requested, from another vehicle, to acquire communication data between the another vehicle and the server device, the controller transmits communication data received by the first communication device from the server device, from the inter-vehicle communication device to the another vehicle, and transmits communication data received by the inter-vehicle communication device from the another vehicle, from the first communication device to the server device.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority from Japanese Patent ApplicationNo. 2019-060658 filed on Mar. 27, 2019, the entire contents of which arehereby incorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND

The disclosure relates to an external communication system for avehicle.

A communication device is provided in a vehicle such as an automobile inorder to receive map data through the Internet or traffic information(Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-077652).

SUMMARY

An aspect of the disclosure provides an external communication systemfor a vehicle includes communication devices and a controller. Thecommunication devices are to be provided in the vehicle. Thecommunication devices are configured to transmit and receivecommunication data between a server device and the vehicle via mutuallydifferent communication paths. The controller is configured to controlcommunication by the communication devices. The communication devicesinclude a first communication device and an inter-vehicle communicationdevice. When the inter-vehicle communication device is requested, fromanother vehicle, to acquire communication data between the anothervehicle and the server device, the controller transmits communicationdata received by the first communication device from the server device,from the inter-vehicle communication device to the another vehicle, andtransmits communication data received by the inter-vehicle communicationdevice from the another vehicle, from the first communication device tothe server device.

An aspect of the disclosure provides an external communication systemfor a vehicle includes communication devices and circuitry. Thecommunication devices are to be provided in the vehicle. Thecommunication devices are configured to transmit and receivecommunication data between a server device and the vehicle via mutuallydifferent communication paths. The circuitry is configured to controlcommunication by the communication devices. The communication devicesinclude a first communication device and an inter-vehicle communicationdevice. When the inter-vehicle communication device is requested, fromanother vehicle, to acquire communication data between the anothervehicle and the server device, the circuitry transmits communicationdata received by the first communication device from the server device,from the inter-vehicle communication device to the another vehicle, andtransmits communication data received by the inter-vehicle communicationdevice from the another vehicle, from the first communication device tothe server device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings are included to provide a furtherunderstanding of the disclosure and are incorporated in and constitute apart of this specification. The drawings illustrate example embodimentsand, together with the specification, serve to explain the principles ofthe disclosure.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of automobiles and traffic systems to which anembodiment of the disclosure e is applied.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a control system of the automobile according tothe embodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an external communication system that managescommunication devices provided in the automobile according to theembodiment of the disclosure.

FIG. 4 is a sequence chart for explaining switching processing toalternative communication for continuing communication when a problemoccurs in the communication between an information and control serverdevice and a first automobile.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of one example of processing for switching thecommunication of the first automobile to the alternative communicationor the like.

FIG. 6 is a sequence chart for explaining switching processing in whichthe first automobile causes a second automobile to perform alternativecommunication with the information and control server device, by the V2V(vehicle-to-vehicle) communication with the second automobile.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of one example of V2V communication destinationcandidate selecting processing that is periodically executed in thefirst automobile that communicates with the information and controlserver device.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams of examples of a V2V communicationdestination list and a backup communication destination list, which aregenerated in the first automobile by the processing in FIG. 7.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of one example of detailed switching processing ofa communication destination.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of one example of processing to be executed inthe second automobile that performs alternative communication, beforethe alternative communication is started.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the following, some embodiments of the disclosure are described indetail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that thefollowing description is directed to illustrative examples of thedisclosure and not to be construed as limiting to the disclosure.Factors including, without limitation, numerical values, shapes,materials, components, positions of the components, and how thecomponents are coupled to each other are illustrative only and not to beconstrued as limiting to the disclosure. Further, elements in thefollowing example embodiments which are not recited in a most-genericindependent claim of the disclosure are optional and may be provided onan as-needed basis. The drawings are schematic and are not intended tobe drawn to scale. Throughout the present specification and thedrawings, elements having substantially the same function andconfiguration are denoted with the same numerals to avoid any redundantdescription.

A vehicle such as an automobile moves, so that a communicationenvironment on a communication device that is provided in the vehiclechanges all the time in accordance with the movement of the vehicle.

Therefore, communication data that is transmitted and received betweenthe communication device that is provided in the vehicle and a serverdevice may be lost during the communication or the communication isinterrupted due to the movement of the vehicle.

It is expected that the vehicle is requested to correspond to anintelligent transport system such as an ADAS, and is requested todirectly or indirectly use communication data in order to control thetravel of the vehicle in the future.

Such important communication data being unable to be received in themoving vehicle indicates that the control based on the communicationdata is unavailable.

Therefore, in the vehicle, for example, it can be considered that theinter-vehicle communication device is used to execute alternativecommunication of communication data, via another vehicle.

Therefore, in the vehicle, it is required to make no other vehicleunable to transmit and receive the communication data due to theinterruption, the lack, and the like of the communication data duringthe movement.

FIG. 1 is a diagram of automobiles 1 and traffic systems to which anembodiment of the disclosure is applied.

FIG. 1 illustrates the automobiles 1 that travel on a bidirectionalpassable road, an information and control server device 2 that transmitsand receives communication data with the automobiles 1, a first cellularcommunication network system. 3, and a second cellular communicationnetwork system 6, an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS)communication system 9, and the Internet 12. The automobile 1 is oneexample of the vehicle. The first cellular communication network system3, the second cellular communication network system 6, and the ADAScommunication system 9 are traffic systems.

Each of the automobiles 1 includes, as will be described later,communication devices such as a cellular communication device 33 that iscommunicable with the first cellular communication network system. 3 orthe second cellular communication network system. 6, and an ADAScommunication device 34 that communicates with the ADAS communicationsystem 9.

The first cellular communication network system 3 includes, ascommunication equipment that is managed by a first carrier, firstcellular base stations 4 that are disposed in a distributed manner inregions including roads, and a first communication network controldevice 5. The first communication network control device 5 is coupled tothe first cellular base stations 4. The first communication networkcontrol device 5 selects, among the first cellular base stations 4, thefirst cellular base station 4 in a communication cell containing anautomobile 1 that signs up with the first carrier, and establishes awireless communication path between the automobile 1 and the firstcellular base station 4.

The second cellular communication network system 6 includes, ascommunication equipment that is managed by a second carrier, secondcellular base stations 7 that are disposed in a distributed manner inregions including roads, and a second communication network controldevice 8. The second communication network control device 8 is coupledto the second cellular base stations 7. The second communication networkcontrol device 8 selects, among the second cellular base stations 7, thesecond cellular base station 7 in a communication cell containing anautomobile 1 that signs up with the second carrier, and establishes awireless communication path between the automobile 1 and the secondcellular base station 7.

The ADAS communication system 9 includes ADAS communication devices 10,and an ADAS distribution device 11. The ADAS distribution device 11 iscoupled to the ADAS communication devices 10. The ADAS distributiondevice 11 wirelessly transmits communication data including regionaltraffic information, and map information such as a dynamic map, forexample, from the ADAS communication devices 10. Moreover, the ADASdistribution device 11 may receive communication data from theautomobiles 1 travelling on the road, via the ADAS communication devices10.

The Internet 12 is coupled to the first communication network controldevice 5, the second communication network control device 8, the ADASdistribution device 11, and the information and control server device 2.The Internet 12 provides, with respect to devices that are coupledthereto, communication paths for transmitting and receivingcommunication data with the other devices.

This enables the automobile 1 contained in the communication cell of thefirst cellular base station 4, for example, and the information andcontrol server device 2 to bidirectionally transmit and receivecommunication data.

For example, the information and control server device 2 outputscommunication data the transmission destination of which is theautomobile 1 to the Internet 12. The communication data output to theInternet 12 is transmitted to the automobile 1 via the firstcommunication network control device 5 and the first cellular basestation 4. When the automobile 1 moves, the first communication networkcontrol device 5 can switch the first cellular base station 4, and thuscontinue the transmission to the automobile 1. Moreover, thecommunication data output to the Internet 12 may be transmitted to theautomobile 1 via the ADAS distribution device 11 and the ADAScommunication device 10.

Examples of communication data to be transmitted by the information andcontrol server device 2 to the automobile 1 include, for example, mapinformation on a region in which the automobile 1 travels, trafficinformation on congestion, a pedestrian, and the automobile 1, andcontrol information on the automobile 1.

Moreover, examples of communication data to be transmitted by theautomobile 1 to the information and control server device 2 includetravel information such as a movement direction and a movement speed ofthe automobile 1, and information on a future control state, forexample.

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a control system 20 of the automobile 1 accordingto the embodiment of the disclosure.

The control system 20 of the automobile 1 in FIG. 2 includes a centralgateway (CGW) 21, a drive control device 22, a steering control device23, a braking control device 24, a driving operation control device 25,a self-driving/driving assistance control device 26, a detecting controldevice 27, an air-conditioning control device 28, a user interface (UI)control device 29, a vehicle communication control device 30, a globalpositioning system (GPS) receiver 31, a vehicle to vehicle (V2V)communication device 32, the cellular communication device 33, the ADAScommunication device 34, and a network 35 that couples these devices.Moreover, a navigation device 36 is coupled to the network 35. In oneembodiment, the V2V communication device 32 may serve as an“inter-vehicle communication device”.

The network 35 is configured with an in-vehicle network such as acontroller area network (CAN) and a local interconnect network (LIN),for example, which are employed in the automobile 1. The network 35 mayfurther include a computer network based on the IEEE 802.3 standard, forexample.

The central gateway 21 manages the communication in the network 35. Thecentral gateway 21 includes a traffic control function of CAN packetsand DIAG packets in on-board diagnostics (OBD) 2, a security function,and the like.

The driving operation control device 25 generates manual operation datain response to an operation of a steering wheel, which is notillustrated, by a user, and outputs the manual operation data to thenetwork 35. The drive control device 22, the steering control device 23,and the braking control device 24 acquire the manual operation data fromthe network 35, and control travel of the automobile 1.

The detecting control device 27 generates detection data based on animage in which an inside and a surrounding of the automobile 1 arecaptured by a camera, which is not illustrated, and outputs thedetection data to the network 35.

The GPS receiver 31 receives radio waves from a GPS satellite, which isnot illustrated, and generates position data indicating a currentposition of the automobile 1.

The self-driving/driving assistance control device 26 acquires thedetection data, the position data, and the like from the network 35,generates automatic operation data for controlling or supporting thetravel of the automobile 1, and outputs the automatic operation data tothe network 35. The drive control device 22, the steering control device23, and the braking control device 24 acquire the automatic operationdata from the network 35, and control travel of the automobile 1.

The UI control device 29 includes a display device and an operationdevice, which are not illustrated, generates UI operation data inresponse to a user operation to the operation device in accordance withthe display on the display device, and outputs the UI operation data tothe network 35.

The air-conditioning control device 28 acquires the UI operation datafrom the network 35, and controls air-conditioning of the automobile 1.Moreover, the self-driving/driving assistance control device 26 acquiresthe UI operation data from the network 35, and switches setting, such ason and off of the driving support and on and off of the self-driving, ofthe automobile 1.

The cellular communication device 33 performs bidirectionalcommunication with a cellular base station, and transmits and receivescommunication data.

The ADAS communication device 34 performs one-way or bidirectionalcommunication with the ADAS communication device 10 for an intelligenttransport system, and transmits and receives communication data.

The V2V communication device 32 performs bidirectional communicationwith a V2V communication device 32 of another vehicle that is present inthe surrounding of a host vehicle, and transmits and receivescommunication data. FIG. 2 illustrates the automobiles 1 that aretravelling in the same direction along the travel direction of the hostvehicle, and the automobile 1 that is travelling in the reversedirection. In this case, the V2V communication device 32 canindividually establish communication paths with the respective othervehicles, and bidirectionally transmit and receive communication data.

As illustrated in FIG. 2, the information and control server device 2can transmit and receive communication data with the cellularcommunication device 33 via the cellular communication network system.Moreover, the information and control server device 2 can transmit andreceive communication data with the ADAS communication device 34 via thecellular communication system 9. Moreover, the information and controlserver device 2 can transmit and receive communication data with the V2Vcommunication device 32 via the cellular communication network system orthe ADAS communication system 9, and another vehicle. Therefore, thecommunication devices that are provided in the automobile 1 can transmitand receive communication data between the information and controlserver device 2 and the automobile 1, via the mutually differentcommunication paths.

The vehicle communication control device 30 controls the communicationby the communication devices, such as the V2V communication device 32,the cellular communication device 33, and the ADAS communication device34, that are provided in the automobile 1. The vehicle communicationcontrol device 30 selects the V2V communication device 32, the cellularcommunication device 33, or the ADAS communication device 34, and causesthe selected device to transmit and receive communication data with theinformation and control server device 2, for example. As illustrated inFIG. 1, the communication cells by the cellular communication networksystem are basically set in regions without any gap. In contrast, acoverage range of the ADAS communication device 10 is basicallydiscrete. Accordingly, communication that is stable and difficult to bedisconnected during the movement of the automobile 1 is basically morepossible in the communication by the cellular communication device 33,than the communication by the ADAS communication device 34. In thiscase, the vehicle communication control device 30 basically uses thecellular communication device 33 as a first communication device, andgives a higher priority to the communication by the cellularcommunication device 33 than priorities given to the communication bythe other communication devices.

FIG. 3 is a diagram of an external communication system. 40 that managesthe communication devices provided in the automobile 1, according to theembodiment of the disclosure.

The external communication system 40 in FIG. 3 includes the vehiclecommunication control device 30, the cellular communication device 33,the ADAS communication device 34, the V2V communication device 32, andthe network 35 that couples these devices.

The vehicle communication control device 30 includes an in-vehiclecommunication unit 41, a control timer 42, a control electric controlunit (ECU) 43, a control memory 44, and an internal bus 45 that couplesthese units.

The cellular communication device 33 includes an in-vehiclecommunication unit 46, a cellular communication instrument 47 thattransmits and receives communication data by the bidirectionalcommunication with a cellular base station, a cellular ECU 48, acellular memory 49, and an internal bus 50 that couples these units.

The ADAS communication device 34 includes an in-vehicle communicationunit 51, an ADAS communication instrument 52 that can transmit andreceive communication data by the bidirectional communication with theADAS communication device 10, an ADAS ECU 53, an ADAS memory 54, and aninternal bus 55 that couples these units.

The V2V communication device 32 includes an in-vehicle communicationunit 56, a V2V communication instrument 57 that transmits and receivescommunication data by the bidirectional communication with a V2Vcommunication device 32 of another vehicle, a V2V timer 58, a V2V ECU59, a V2V memory 60, and an internal bus 61 that couples these units.

The in-vehicle communication units 41, 46, 51, and 56 are coupled to thenetwork 35. The in-vehicle communication units 41, 46, 51, and 56transmit and receive data via the network 35 with the in-vehiclecommunication unit of anther device that is coupled to the network 35.

The control timer 42 and the V2V timer 58 measure the time or theelapsed time.

The control memory 44 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, andrecords a program and data. The semiconductor memory has a limitedstorage capacity. The control ECU 43 reads a program from the controlmemory 44, and executes the program, with a processing ability thereof.This implements a vehicle communication controller that controls anoperation of the vehicle communication control device 30, in the controlECU 43.

The cellular memory 49 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, andrecords a program and data. The cellular ECU 48 reads a program from thecontrol memory 44, and executes the program, with a processing abilitythereof. This implements a cellular controller that controls anoperation of the cellular communication device 33, in the cellular ECU48.

The ADAS memory 54 is, for example, a semiconductor memory, and recordsa program and data. The ADAS ECU 53 reads a program from the ADAS memory54, and executes the program, with a processing ability thereof. Thisimplements an ADAS controller that controls an operation of the ADAScommunication device 34, in the ADAS ECU 53.

The V2V memory 60 records a program and data. The V2V ECU 59 reads aprogram from the V2V memory 60, and executes the program. Thisimplements a V2V controller that controls an operation of the V2Vcommunication device 32, in the V2V ECU 59.

FIG. 4 is a sequence chart for explaining switching processing toalternative communication for continuing communication when a problemoccurs in the communication between the information and control serverdevice 2 and a first automobile 71.

FIG. 4 illustrates the information and control server device 2, thefirst cellular base station 4, the ADAS communication device 10, asecond automobile 72, and the first automobile 71. The first automobile71 and the second automobile 72 commonly include the devices in FIG. 3.In the drawing, the processing flows from top to bottom.

The information and control server device 2 and the first automobile 71may transmit and receive communication data normally via the firstcellular base station 4. In this case, for example, communication datathat the information and control server device 2 transmits to the firstautomobile 71 is transmitted from the information and control serverdevice 2 to the first cellular base station 4, and is transmitted fromthe first cellular base station 4 to the first automobile 71. When theautomobile 1 travels from the bottom toward the top in FIG. 1 andreaches a tunnel, for example, the automobile 1 is out of thecommunication cells of the first cellular base stations 4 in the firstcellular communication network system 3. Only the second cellular basestations 7 in the second cellular communication network system 6 aredisposed in the mountain area, which is in front and behind the tunnel.The communication environment of the cellular communication device 33 inthe first automobile 71 is changed from a communication-possibleenvironment to a communication-impossible environment. In this case, asillustrated a dotted line T1 in the drawing, the first cellular basestations 4 cannot communicate with the first automobile 71. Thecommunication data to be transmitted by the information and controlserver device 2 to the first automobile 71 is not transmitted to thefirst automobile 71 because the communication data is lost during thecommunication or the communication is interrupted due to the movement ofthe first automobile 71.

When the first automobile 71 directly or indirectly uses communicationdata in order to control the travel, for example, the first automobile71 is unable to perform the control based on the communication data.

For example, in a case where the first automobile 71 includes controldata such as the accelerator opening angle, the brake pressure, and thesteering torque, as the communication data, and the braking devices suchas the drive control device 22, the steering control device 23, thebraking control device 24, the driving operation control device 25, andthe self-driving/driving assistance control device 26 of the firstautomobile 71 control the travel or the like based on pieces of thecontrol data to be continuously received, when the communication datacannot be acquired as appropriate, the travel may be affected. Suchcontrol data may have a large amount, and may be requested to have highreal-time characteristics.

Therefore, in the automobile 1, it is required to make the communicationdata being unable to be transmitted and received difficult as much aspossible due to an interruption, a loss, and the like of thecommunication data during the movement, without relying on thecommunication by one communication device.

As illustrated in a pattern 1 in the drawing, for example, whendetecting loss of communication data or a timeout in communication data,the first automobile 71 transmits a switching request using the ADAScommunication device 34, which is different from the cellularcommunication device 33 having been used until then. This enables theinformation and control server device 2 to transmit communication datato the first automobile 71 via the ADAS communication device 10.

In addition, as illustrated in a pattern 2 in the drawing, for example,when detecting loss of communication data loss or timeout, the firstautomobile 71 transmits a switching request using the V2V communicationdevice 32, which is different from the cellular communication device 33having been used until then. This enables the information and controlserver device 2 to transmit the communication data to the firstautomobile 71 via the second automobile 72.

By switching the communication device to make alternative communicationavailable, the information and control server device and the firstautomobile 71 can restart and continue the communication.

FIG. 5 is a flowchart of one example of processing for switching thecommunication of the first automobile 71 to alternative communication orthe like.

A vehicle communication controller of the vehicle communication controldevice 30 in the first automobile 71 that intends to communicate withthe information and control server device 2 executes the processing ofFIG. 5 when the first automobile 71 is started for travel or the like.When malfunction occurs in the communication in use, the vehiclecommunication controller switches the communication device to be used inthe communication devices, thereby executing the alternativecommunication. Herein, the communication device being communicated iscalled a main communication device, and a communication device to beused by switching due to the alternative communication is called abackup communication device.

At Step ST1, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the automobile 1 has been started. Thevehicle communication controller may determine that the automobile 1 hasbeen started based on an ignition switch of the automobile 1, which isnot illustrated, having been operated from an off state to an on state,for example. In this case, the vehicle communication controller causesthe processing to proceed to Step ST2. In other cases, the vehiclecommunication controller repeats the start determination at Step ST1.

At Step ST2, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 starts communication by the cellular communication device33. In one embodiment, the cellular communication device 33 may serve asa “first communication device”. The cellular communication device 33serves as amain communication device. The cellular communication device33 starts the communication with a cellular base station, andestablishes a communication path with the information and control serverdevice 2. The information and control server device 2 and the cellularcommunication device 33 of the first automobile 71 start transmissionand reception of bidirectional communication data. The cellularcommunication can be expected at the present time to stably maintain thefastest communication in a wide area, compared with the ADAScommunication and the V2V communication. When the ADAS communicationwill be able to stably maintain the fastest communication in a wide areain the future, the vehicle communication controller may select the ADAScommunication device 34 as a first communication device at Step ST2.

At Step ST3, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the automobile 1 has been stopped. Thevehicle communication controller may determine that the automobile 1 hasbeen stopped based on the ignition switch of the automobile 1, which isnot illustrated, having been operated from an on state to an off state,for example. In this case, the vehicle communication controller ends theprocessing in FIG. 5. In other cases, the vehicle communicationcontroller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST4.

At Step ST4, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the cellular communication deviceserving as the main communication device has received communication datafrom the information and control server device 2. If the cellularcommunication device 33 has received new communication data from theinformation and control server device 2, for example, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST8.If the cellular communication device 33 has received no newcommunication data, the vehicle communication controller causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST5.

At Step ST5, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the reception interval of thecommunication data has exceeded a timeout period of the communication.The vehicle communication controller may determine whether the timeouthas occurred based on an elapsed time from previous communication datathat is measured by the control timer 42. The vehicle communicationcontroller calculates an average reception interval of communicationdata from the information and control server device 2 is calculated inadvance for example. When the time measured by the control timer 42, asan elapsed time from the previous reception, exceeds the receptioninterval, the vehicle communication controller determines that thetimeout period of communication has been exceeded, and causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST12. If the vehicle communicationcontroller determines that the timeout period of communication has notbeen exceeded, the vehicle communication controller causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST6.

At Step ST6, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the communication for cellularcommunication between the cellular communication device 33 and thecellular base station has been recovered. After a failure has occurredin the communication between the cellular communication device 33 andthe cellular base station, when the communication has become availableagain, the vehicle communication controller determines that thecommunication has been recovered, and causes the processing to proceedto Step ST12. In other cases, that is, the case where no failure hasoccurred in the communication between the cellular communication device33 and the cellular base station, or the case where a failure hascontinuously occurred in the communication between the cellularcommunication device 33 and the cellular base station, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST7.

At Step ST7, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the V2V communication has beenrecovered. If the V2V communication device 32 of the host vehiclebecomes a communication possible state with the V2V communication device32 of another vehicle after a communication impossible state with theV2V communication device 32 of another vehicle, the vehiclecommunication controller determines that the communication has beenrecovered, and causes the processing to proceed to Step ST12. In othercases, that is, the cases where the V2V communication device 32 of thehost vehicle is in a continuously communication possible state with theV2V communication device 32 of another vehicle, and is in a continuouslycommunication impossible state with the V2V communication device 32 ofanother vehicle, the vehicle communication controller returns theprocessing to Step ST3.

At Step ST8, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 acquires the communication data received from theinformation and control server device 2.

At Step ST9, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines the presence or absence of a serious loss ofthe communication data based on the acquired communication data. When atime difference between a time stamp of the communication data acquiredat the previous time and a time stamp of the communication data acquiredat this time is longer than several times of a normal communicationinterval, for example, the vehicle communication controller determinesthat a serious loss is present, and causes the processing to proceed toStep ST12. In other cases, a case where communication data on successivetime stamps can continuously be received, for example, or a case whereloss of communication data is minor, the vehicle communicationcontroller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST10. Whether theloss of communication data is serious or minor depends on the content ofthe communication data. When communication data is used for self-drivingin the automobile 1, for example, loss of a single piece ofcommunication data may lead to a serious loss. In contrast, whencommunication data is used in the automobile 1 for entertainment, lossof several tens to several hundreds pieces of data may be determined asminor loss. A criterion for determining whether the loss ofcommunication data is serious may be changed depending on the type andthe content of the communication data.

At Step ST10, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether a predetermined period has elapsedsince the communication with the information and control server device 2by the main communication device has been started. The predeterminedperiod may be a period in which a change in the travel environment ofthe first automobile 71 can be generally assumed, for example. Thechange in the travel environment differs depending on the travelingspeed or the like of the first automobile 71. In this case, a differentperiod may be used as the predetermined period that is used for thedetermination at Step ST10 depending on the traveling speed of theautomobile 1 or the like. When the movement speed of the automobile 1 iscontinuously in a low state due to traffic jam, the predetermined periodmay be several tens minutes. In contrast, when the automobile 1 travelson the wound highway in a city area, the communication environment maybe changed for each period of about several seconds to several tensseconds. If the predetermined period has elapsed, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST11.If the predetermined period has not elapsed, the vehicle communicationcontroller returns the processing to Step ST3.

At Step ST11, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 temporally stops the communication with the informationand control server device 2 by the main communication device. The maincommunication device stops the transmission of the own communicationdata, and transmits a temporal stop request to the information andcontrol server device 2. The information and control server device 2having received the temporal stop request stops the transmission of thecommunication data.

At Step ST12, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 executes processing of switching the main communicationdevice to be used for the communication with the information and controlserver device 2.

The switching processing at Step ST12 will be described in detailslater. The vehicle communication controller selects a new communicablemain communication device, from the cellular communication device 33,the V2V communication device 32, and the ADAS communication device 34 inthis order, and causes the new main communication device to start thecommunication with the information and control server device 2. Thevehicle communication controller selects the other communication devicesas backup communication devices that do not communicate with theinformation and control server device 2, and stops the communicationwith the information and control server device 2 by the backup devices.For example, when the communication device that communicates with theinformation and control server device 2 is switched from the cellularcommunication device 33 having been selected as the main communicationdevice to the V2V communication device 32 having been selected as thebackup communication device, the external communication system 40 startsthe backup communication by the V2V communication device 32 to be newlyselected as the main communication device.

At Step ST13, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the switching of the main communicationdevice was able to be completed. Depending on the communicationenvironment of the automobile 1, all the communication devices may beunable to perform communication. In this case, the vehicle communicationcontroller can perform neither the main communication nor the backupcommutation. If the switching of the main communication device wasunable to be completed, the vehicle communication controller causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST14. If the switching of the maincommunication device was able to be completed, the vehicle communicationcontroller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST15.

At Step ST14, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 outputs communication interruption to the network 35 ofthe first automobile 71. This causes the various control devices thatare coupled to the network 35 of the first automobile 71 execute theprocessing corresponding to the communication interruption.

The first automobile 71 starts travelling in a state of beingdisconnected from the information and control server device 2, forexample, travelling by manual driving or perfect autonomous driving.

At Step ST15, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the communication with the informationand control server device 2 is being temporally stopped. At Step ST11,the vehicle communication controller temporally stop the communication.Temporally stopping the communication in the switching processing inthis manner can prevent loss of the communication data during theswitching. Complicated communication control for preventing loss of thecommunication data during the switching is not used. In a case where thecommunication has been temporally stopped, the vehicle communicationcontroller determines that the communication is being temporallystopped, and causes the processing to proceed to Step ST16. In othercases, the vehicle communication controller returns the processing toStep ST3.

At Step ST16, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 restarts the communication with the information andcontrol server device 2 that has been determined as being temporallystopped. If the main communication device has been switched at StepST12, the new main communication device, for example, the V2Vcommunication device 32 restarts the communication with the informationand control server device 2 via another vehicle.

As in the foregoing, when at least one of communication devices is usedas a main communication device that transmits and receives between theserver device and the automobile 1, the remaining communication devicesof the communication devices are used as backup communication devicesthat transmit and receive the communication data between the serverdevice and the automobile 1, and the communication between the maincommunication device and the server device is disconnected or becomesworse, the vehicle communication controller of the first automobile 71can instantaneously switch the communication device that transmits andreceives the communication data between the server device and theautomobile 1 from the main communication device to the backupcommunication device. The vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 can select a main communication device and a backupcommunication device among the communication devices periodically eachtime when the predetermined period has elapsed.

Moreover, when the communication between the main communication deviceand the server device is disconnected or becomes worse and thecommunication device that transmits and receives the communication databetween the server device and the automobile 1 is to be switched fromthe main communication device to the backup communication device, thevehicle communication controller of the first automobile 71 cantemporally stops the communication with the server device, and thenswitch the communication device, and after the switching, restart thecommunication with the server device.

FIG. 6 is a sequence chart for explaining switching processing toalternative communication in which the first automobile 71 causes thesecond automobile 72 to perform alternative communication with theinformation and control server device 2, by the V2V communication withthe second automobile 72.

FIG. 6 illustrates the first automobile 71, the second automobile 72,the second cellular base station 7 with which the second automobile 72communicates, and the information and control server device 2. In thedrawing, the processing flows from top to bottom.

When the vehicle communication controller of the first automobile 71intends to establish a communication path by V2V communication withanother vehicle such as the second automobile 72, the vehiclecommunication controller of the first automobile 71 periodically outputsa V2V search signal from the V2V communication device 32 in order tosearch another vehicle that is communicable by the host vehicle.

Upon reception of the V2V search signal, the vehicle communicationcontroller of another vehicle such as the second automobile 72 respondsand transmits host vehicle information on the host vehicle from the V2Vcommunication device 32 to the first automobile 71. This enables thevehicle communication controller of the first automobile 71 to confirmthat another vehicle corresponding to V2V communication is present inthe surrounding of the host vehicle.

Next, the vehicle communication controller of the first automobile 71transmits a notification of backup selection from the V2V communicationdevice 32 to the second automobile 72 having responded.

When the backup communication is available, the vehicle communicationcontroller of the second automobile 72 reserves and securescommunication resources of the host vehicle for the backup, andtransmits an positive response indicating that the backup is possiblefrom the V2V communication device 32 to the first automobile 71. Thisenables the vehicle communication controller of the first automobile 71to know that the second automobile 72 has been able to reserve andprepare for the backup communication.

Upon the completion of the preprocessing in the foregoing, the secondautomobile 72 can start the alternative communication of communicationdata between the first automobile 71 and the information and controlserver device 2, using the communication path between the own cellularcommunication device 33 and the second cellular base station 7.

Thereafter, for example, the communication of the own cellularcommunication device 33, for example, serving as a main communicationdevice, is interrupted or a serious loss occurs in the communicationdata, the vehicle communication controller of the first automobile 71selects the V2V communication device 32 that is communicable with thesecond automobile 72 as a new main communication device, and transmits aswitching request from the V2V communication device 32 serving as a newmain communication device. The vehicle communication controller of thesecond automobile 72 sets, when the own V2V communication device 32receives a switching request, routing configuration using communicationresources of the V2V communication device 32 and the cellularcommunication device 33, and transmits the switching request from theown cellular communication device 33 to the second cellular base station7. The switching request having been transmitted to the second cellularbase station 7 is transmitted to information and control server device 2through the Internet 12. Upon reception of the switching request, theinformation and control server device 2 transmits a response toward thesecond automobile 72, and switches a relay destination of thecommunication data with the first automobile 71 from the firstcommunication network control device 5 in the first cellularcommunication network system 3 to the second communication networkcontrol device 8 in the second cellular communication network system 6.

This enables the first automobile 71 and the information and controlserver device 2 to transmit and receive communication data to betransmitted and received therebetween via the second automobile 72, thesecond cellular base station 7, the second communication network controldevice 8, and the Internet 12.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of one example of V2V communication destinationcandidate selecting processing that is periodically executed in thefirst automobile 71 that communicates with the information and controlserver device 2.

The vehicle communication controller of the first automobile 71repeatedly executes the processing in FIG. 7 during a period when theautomobile 1 is being activated. Accordingly, even when a communicationenvironment has changed with the travel of the first automobile 71, acandidate for a V2V communication destination of the first automobile 71can be updated to the candidate in accordance with the communicationenvironment having been changed.

At Step ST21, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the communication destination of theV2V communication is newly searched. The vehicle communicationcontroller determines that another automobile 1 that is communicablewith the V2V communication device 32 is periodically searched for eachpredetermined period in which the travel environment of the host vehicleis assumed to be changed, for example.

At Step ST22, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 transmits a V2V search signal from the V2V communicationdevice 32. The V2V communication device 32 of another vehicle havingreceived the V2V search signal transmits a search response. The V2Vcommunication device 32 of another vehicle may collect information suchas information on communication resources and the use state thereof, thetravel route, the travel direction, and the travel speed, the carrier,the communication method, and the use state of the cellularcommunication, and transmit the search response including theinformation.

At Step ST23, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether other vehicle information has beenreceived from the V2V communication device 32 of another vehicle. If noother vehicle information has been received, the vehicle communicationcontroller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST40. If othervehicle information has been received, the vehicle communicationcontroller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST24.

At Step ST24, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines a state of a communication path with the V2Vcommunication device 32 of another vehicle and a state of a response ofthe V2V communication device 32 by another vehicle, as a firstdetermination condition. The vehicle communication controller maydetermine, for example, based on the information on the communicationmethod of V2V and the frequency included in the search response, a stateof a communication path with the V2V communication device 32 of anothervehicle. Moreover, the vehicle communication controller may determine,based on the measurement time by the V2V timer 58 from when the V2Vsearch signal is transmitted to when the search response is received, astate of a response of the V2V communication device 32 by anothervehicle. If these satisfy the condition suitable for the backupcommunication, the vehicle communication controller determines that goodbackup communication with another vehicle is possible, and causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST25. In other cases, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST31.

At Step ST25, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines a state of communication resources for backupV2V communication in another vehicle, as a second determinationcondition. The vehicle communication controller determines, based oninformation on communication resources for V2V that is included in thesearch response, and a use statue thereof, for example, a state of thecommunication resources. The vehicle communication controller mayfurther determine, based on information on a use state of cellularcommunication in another vehicle, a state of the communicationresources. If this state satisfies the condition suitable for the backupcommunication, the vehicle communication controller determines thatanother vehicle is in a state in which good backup communication ispossible, and causes the processing to proceed to Step ST26. In othercases, the vehicle communication controller causes the processing toproceed to Step ST31.

At Step ST26, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines the degree of coincidence in relative travelbetween the travel of another vehicle and the travel of the hostvehicle, as a third condition. The vehicle communication controllercompares the travel route, the travel direction, and the travel speed ofanother vehicle that are included in the search response, for example,with the travel route, the travel direction, and the travel speed of thehost vehicle, and determines the degree of coincidence in the relativetravel of those. When another vehicle travels on the same road as thehost vehicle travels in the same direction, for example, the vehiclecommunication controller determines that the relative travels arecoincident, and causes the processing to proceed to Step ST27. Whenanother vehicle travels on the same road as the host vehicle travels inthe reverse direction, for example, the vehicle communication controllerdetermines that the travels are not coincident, and causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST30. When the radio field intensity ofthe V2V communication transmitted by the second automobile 72 is strong,or the response time is short, the vehicle communication controller maydetermine that the second automobile 72 comes closer to the hostvehicle, and the relative travels are incident.

At Step ST27, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines the degree of difference of the carrier of thecellular communication network system that the cellular communicationdevice 33 of another vehicle uses, as a fourth determination condition.The vehicle communication controller compares information on the carrierand the communication method of the cellular communication included inthe search response with the carrier and the communication method of thecellular communication device 33 of the host vehicle, for example, anddetermines the degree of difference in those. For example, when thecarriers of the cellular communications are different from each other,or the different cellular base stations are used due to the differentcommunication methods even in the same carrier, the vehiclecommunication controller determines that the carriers are different fromeach other, and causes the processing to proceed to Step ST28. Both ofthe carriers and the communication methods are the same, the vehiclecommunication controller determines that the carrier is not different,and causes the processing to proceed to Step ST29.

At Step ST28, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 sets the priority of another vehicle other vehicleinformation of which has been received, as a first priority, and recordsit in the control memory 44. The vehicle communication controller setsanother vehicle that satisfies all the conditions from the firstcondition to the fourth condition as a first priority, which is thehighest priority.

At Step ST29, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 sets the priority of another vehicle other vehicleinformation of which has been received, as a second priority, andrecords it in the control memory 44. The vehicle communicationcontroller sets another vehicle that satisfies all the conditions fromthe first condition to the third condition as a second priority. Thesecond priority is the priority that can be selected after the firstpriority is selected.

At Step ST30, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 sets the priority of another vehicle other vehicleinformation of which has been received, as a third priority, and recordsit in the control memory 44. The vehicle communication controller setsanother vehicle that satisfies both of the first condition and thesecond condition as a third priority. The third priority is the prioritythat can be selected after the second priority is selected.

At Step ST31, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether degenerated communication of not allthe communication data of the host vehicle but of only a part ofcommunication data with the V2V communication device 32 of anothervehicle is possible. The first automobile 71 may transmit and receivetypes of communication data, such as communication data forentertainment and communication data for control including trafficinformation, for example. In this case, in the first automobile 71, sucha situation can be generated that the degree of importance for eachcommunication data is different, for example, loss of the communicationdata for entertainment may be acceptable but the communication data forcontrol is not to be lost. In this case, the vehicle communicationcontroller determines whether degenerated communication of not all thecommunication data of the host vehicle but of notable communication datafor control is possible. If the backup communication in the degeneratedstate is possible, the vehicle communication controller causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST32. In other cases, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST33.

At Step ST32, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 sets the priority of another vehicle other vehicleinformation of which has been received, as a degeneracy priority, andrecords it in the control memory 44. The vehicle communicationcontroller sets a part of the communication data that can be backed upbetween the server device and the first automobile 71 as a degeneracypriority with a lower priority than that from the first priority tolower than the third priority. The degeneracy priority is a low prioritythat can be selected after the first priority to the third priority inwhich all the communication data can be backed up.

At Step ST33, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 simply records and maintains the received other vehicleinformation in the control memory 44, without setting the priority ofanother vehicle other vehicle information of which has been received. Inthis case, another vehicle is not selected for the backup communication.

At Step ST34, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether a new search for a communicationdestination of the V2V communication is ended. For example, when thepriority setting of the predetermined number has been obtained and apredetermined search period has elapsed, the vehicle communicationcontroller determines that a new search is ended, and causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST35. In other cases, the vehiclecommunication controller returns the processing to Step ST22, andfurther continues a new search.

With the processing in the foregoing, the vehicle communicationcontroller of the first automobile 71 selects, based on the informationthat can be acquired by the host vehicle, a candidate for acommunication destination for backup by the V2V communication. Whenother vehicles are searched as other vehicles that are communicable bythe V2V communication device 32, the vehicle communication controllerdetermines the priority based on the communication quality for each ofthe other vehicles. The vehicle communication controller assigns a highpriority to another vehicle in which the high-quality communication thatis most suitable for the host vehicle is possible. Such another vehicleis selected in the backup communication, together with the V2Vcommunication device 32 for the backup communication. Next, the vehiclecommunication controller of the first automobile 71 checks whether thecommunication for backup is possible with respect to a communicationdestination in the V2V communication.

At Step ST35, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines, based on the V2V communication destinationlist 62 recorded in the control memory 44, a communication destinationwith “priority” being set is included in the communication destinationlist. If no communication destination with “priority” being set isincluded in the communication destination list, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST40.If a communication destination with “priority” being set is included,the vehicle communication controller causes the processing to proceed toStep ST36.

At Step ST36, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 transmits a candidate for a communication destination forbackup having been selected, with respect to the V2V communicationdevice 32 of another vehicle with “priority” being set in thecommunication destination list, from the V2V communication device 32.The vehicle communication controller may transmit a notification ofbackup selection with respect to the V2V communication device 32 ofanother vehicle with the highest priority. When the V2V communicationdevice 32 of another vehicle receives a notification of backupselection, the vehicle communication controller thereof, determines themargin of resources and the like in the host vehicle, and transmits apositive response or a refusal response from the V2V communicationdevice 32.

At Step ST37, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether a positive response is transmitted froma communication destination to which a notification of the selection ofthe candidate for backup has been made. If the vehicle communicationcontroller has received the positive response, the vehicle communicationcontroller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST39. If the vehiclecommunication controller has received no positive response, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST38.

At Step ST38, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 deletes the “priority” setting for another vehicle towhich a notification of the selection of the candidate for backup hasbeen made, from the communication destination list.

Accordingly, another vehicle with “priority” having been set is notselected as a communication destination for backup by the V2Vcommunication.

At Step ST39, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines another communication destination with“priority” being set is remaining in the communication destination list.If another communication destination with “priority” being set isremaining in the communication destination list, the vehiclecommunication controller returns the processing to Step ST36. If nocommunication destination with “priority” being set is remaining in thecommunication destination list, the vehicle communication controllercauses the processing to proceed to Step ST40.

At Step ST40, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 updates, based on the updated V2V communicationdestination list 62, a backup communication destination list 63 that isavailable for the communication between the first automobile 71 and theinformation and control server device 2.

FIGS. 8A and 8B are diagrams of examples of the V2V communicationdestination list 62 and the backup communication destination list 63,which are generated in the first automobile 71 by the processing in FIG.7.

FIG. 8A is the V2V communication destination list 62 the firstautomobile 71 can use. The vehicle communication controller generatesand records the V2V communication destination list 62 in FIG. 8A in thecontrol memory 44, by the processes up to Step ST34 in FIG. 7. In theV2V communication destination list 62, for every V2V communicationdestination, identification information on the automobile 1 in acommunication destination, the priority, and channel information on achannel with the communication destination are recorded. Moreover, ifthe vehicle communication controller has received a refusal response inthe processes at Step ST35 and subsequent Steps in FIG. 7 from thecommunication destination, the vehicle communication controller updatesinformation on the priority in FIG. 8A to NG. The priority of thecommunication destination with no priority being set is indicated as“-”.

In the processing in FIG. 7, the priority is individually determined foreach of the other automobiles 1. In this case, the other automobiles 1may be registered in each priority. When the other automobiles 1 areregistered in the same priority, the vehicle communication controllermay select one with the strong radio field intensity of the V2Vcommunication transmitted by each of the other automobiles 1 or with ashort response time, and delete or downgrade the priority of the otherautomobiles 1 other than the selected one. When the radio fieldintensity of the V2V communication to be received is strong or theresponse time is short, it is considered that the other automobile 1having transmitted it may come closer to the first automobile 71 thanthe other automobiles 1 other than the other automobile 1, and thecommunication may highly probably become stabler.

FIG. 8B illustrates the backup communication destination list that isavailable by the first automobile 71 for backup communication with theinformation and control server device 2. In the communicationdestination list, together with the backup communication deviceavailable for the backup communication, the main communication devicethat is currently used is also registered.

The vehicle communication controller updates the backup communicationdestination list 63, based on the V2V communication destination list 62in FIG. 8A, at Step ST40 in FIG. 7. Accordingly, the information on theautomobile 1 that is registered in the backup communication destinationlist 63 and serves as a communication destination is periodicallyupdated in accordance with the communication environment and the like.In the backup communication destination list 63 in FIG. 8B, theautomobiles 1 with the priority being set in the V2V communicationdestination list 62 in FIG. 8A are registered as communicationdestinations.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart of one example of detailed switching processing ofa communication destination.

When the vehicle communication controller of the first automobile 71intends to switch a communication device to be used in the communicationbetween the first automobile 71 and the information and control serverdevice 2 at Step ST12 in FIG. 5 and the like, the vehicle communicationcontroller of the first automobile 71 executes the processing in FIG. 9.In FIG. 5, for example, when the main communication is interrupted, whena serious loss of communication data is generated in the maincommunication, and when a predetermined period has elapsed, based on thebackup communication destination list 63 in FIG. 8B, switching of thecommunication device is attempted by the switching processing of acommunication destination in FIG. 9.

At Step ST51, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the cellular communication is possible.If the cellular communication is possible, the vehicle communicationcontroller selects the cellular communication device 33 as a new maincommunication device, and causes the processing to proceed to Step ST59.If the cellular communication is impossible, the vehicle communicationcontroller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST52.

At Step ST52, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether the V2V communication is possible. Whenthe automobile 1 is registered in the backup communication destinationlist 63, the vehicle communication controller determines that the V2Vcommunication is possible, and causes the processing to proceed to StepST53. When the automobile 1 is not registered in the backupcommunication destination list 63, the vehicle communication controllerdetermines that the V2V communication is impossible, and causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST58.

At Step ST53, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 selects a V2V communication destination with a highpriority. The vehicle communication controller selects the automobile 1with the highest priority in the backup communication destination list63 as a V2V communication destination.

At Step ST54, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 transmits a notification of backup start to the selectedV2V communication destination. When the V2V communication device 32 ofanother vehicle receives the request of backup start, the vehiclecommunication controller thereof determines the margin of resources andthe like in the host vehicle at the time point, and transmits a positiveresponse or a refusal response from the V2V communication device 32.

At Step ST55, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines whether a positive response is transmitted fromthe communication destination to which the notification of backup starthas been made. If the vehicle communication controller has received thepositive response, the vehicle communication controller causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST59. If the vehicle communicationcontroller has received no positive response, the vehicle communicationcontroller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST56.

At Step ST56, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 determines the presence or absence of an unselected V2Vcommunication destination. If an unselected V2V communicationdestination is remaining in the backup communication destination list63, the vehicle communication controller causes the processing toproceed to Step ST57. If no unselected V2V communication destination isremaining in the backup communication destination list 63, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST58.

At Step ST57, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 selects a V2V communication destination with the secondhighest priority, among the unselected V2V communication destinations.Thereafter, the vehicle communication controller returns the processingto Step ST54. Accordingly, the vehicle communication controller attemptsto start backup with respect to the V2V communication destination withthe second highest priority. At Step ST58, the vehicle communicationcontroller of the first automobile 71 determines whether the ADAScommunication is possible. If the ADAS communication is possible, thevehicle communication controller selects the ADAS communication device34 as a new main communication device, and causes the processing toproceed to Step ST59. If the ADAS communication is impossible, thevehicle communication controller causes the processing to proceed toStep ST60.

At Step ST59, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 transmits a switching request for the backup communicationfrom the new main communication device having been selected as thecommunication being possible, and ends the processing in FIG. 9. The newmain communication device is not necessarily different from the previousmain communication device, but the same communication device cancontinuously be selected as a main communication device. Accordingly,the communication between the first automobile 71 and the informationand control server device 2 is continued using the new maincommunication device.

At Step ST60, the vehicle communication controller of the firstautomobile 71 outputs a notification of switching impossible indicatingthat switching to the backup communication is impossible to the network35 of the first automobile 71, and ends the processing in FIG. 9. Thecontrol device that is coupled to the network 35 in the first automobile71 acquires the notification of switching impossible, and executes thecontrol.

In this manner, when switching to the V2V communication device 32 havingserved as a backup communication device is executed, the vehiclecommunication controller selects a communication destination of the V2Vcommunication device 32 based on the priority. The vehicle communicationcontroller selects a communication destination of the V2V communicationdevice 32 in the order of the first priority, the second priority, andthe third priority.

Moreover, the vehicle communication controller selects the cellularcommunication device 33 as a main communication device in priority tothe V2V communication device 32 and the ADAS communication device 34 forthe intelligent transport system. Moreover, the vehicle communicationcontroller selects the V2V communication device 32 as a backupcommunication device in priority to the ADAS communication device 34 forthe intelligent transport system. The vehicle communication controllersets the V2V communication device 32 as a backup communication device inpriority to the communication devices other than the V2V communicationdevice among the communication devices. Therefore, when thecommunication between the main communication device and the serverdevice is disconnected or becomes worse, the vehicle communicationcontroller can switch the communication device that transmits andreceives communication data between the server device and the automobile1 from the main communication device to the V2V communication device 32serving as a backup communication device. When the communication by thecellular communication device 33 serving as a main communication deviceis impossible, the vehicle communication controller can immediatelyswitch the communication to the backup communication by the V2Vcommunication device 32 having been confirmed to be communicable inadvance, and receive communication data so as not to be interrupted.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart of one example of processing to be executed inthe second automobile 72 that performs alternative communication, beforethe alternative communication is started.

When the second automobile 72 is being activated, the vehiclecommunication controller of the second automobile 72 repeatedly executesalternative communication processing in FIG. 10 using the V2Vcommunication device 32 of the host vehicle.

At Step ST71, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether the V2V communication device 32 of thehost vehicle has received a V2V search signal. If the V2V communicationdevice 32 of the host vehicle has received no V2V search signal, thevehicle communication controller repeats the process at Step ST71. Ifthe V2V communication device 32 of the host vehicle has received a V2Vsearch signal, the vehicle communication controller causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST72.

At Step ST72, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether the setting for the host vehicle is asa backup possible setting. If it is not a backup possible setting, thevehicle communication controller ends the processing in FIG. 10. If itis a backup possible setting, the vehicle communication controllercauses the processing to proceed to Step ST73.

At Step ST73, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 collects information for the backup communication of thehost vehicle. The vehicle communication controller collects, forexample, information on communication resources, a use status thereof, aprediction of a future use status thereof, the presence or absence ofthe reservation of backup for another automobile 1, the travel route,the travel direction, and the travel speed, and information on acommunication path such as a carrier, a communication method, a band,and a use status of the cellular communication.

At Step ST74, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 transmits a search response from the V2V communicationdevice 32. The search response includes the collected host vehicleinformation.

The vehicle communication controller of the second automobile 72responds information on the host vehicle, when the V2V communicationdevice 32 of the host vehicle has received a search signal from thefirst automobile 71 that is another automobile 1.

Moreover, the vehicle communication controller responds information onthe cellular communication device 33 as information on a communicationpath of the communication device other than the V2V communication device32.

At Step ST75, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether the V2V communication device 32 of thehost vehicle has received a notification of backup selection. If the V2Vcommunication device 32 of the host vehicle has received no notificationof backup selection, the vehicle communication controller repeats theprocess at Step ST75. If the V2V communication device 32 of the hostvehicle has received a notification of backup selection, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST76.

At Step ST76, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether the backup communication serving asalternative communication is possible about the communication resourcesand the like at the current time point. If the communication resourcesat the current time point have no margin, the vehicle communicationcontroller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST79. If thecommunication resources at the current time point have a margin, thevehicle communication controller causes the processing to proceed toStep ST77. The vehicle communication controller may determine a marginabout not only s state of the communication device but also a state of apower supply, for example. When the power supply condition is not sound,it is better not to start the alternative communication.

At Step ST77, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 reserves communication resources of the V2V memory 60 ofthe V2V communication device 32 in the host vehicle for the backupcommunication. The vehicle communication controller secures, forexample, a memory area to be used for the backup communication servingas alternative communication, in the V2V memory 60 and the cellularmemory 49. The vehicle communication controller causes the V2V ECU 59and the cellular ECU 48 to mutually input and output the receivedcommunication data.

At Step ST78, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 transmits a positive response about the backup selectionfrom the V2V communication device 32.

At Step ST79, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 transmits a refusal response about the backup selectionfrom the V2V communication device 32. Thereafter vehicle communicationcontroller ends the processing in FIG. 10.

At Step ST80, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether the V2V communication device 32 of thehost vehicle has received a notification of backup start. If the V2Vcommunication device 32 of the host vehicle has received no notificationof backup start, the vehicle communication controller repeats theprocess at Step ST80. If the V2V communication device 32 of the hostvehicle has received a notification of backup start, the vehiclecommunication controller causes the processing to proceed to Step ST81.

At Step ST81, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether the start of the backup communicationfor the alternative communication is possible based on the state at thecurrent time point. If the communication resources at the current timepoint have no margin and if communication resources have been unable tobe secured, the vehicle communication controller causes the processingto proceed to Step ST83. If the communication resources have beensecured and a preparation for the alternative communication has beencompleted, the vehicle communication controller causes the processing toproceed to Step ST82.

At Step ST82, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 transmits a positive response about the backup start fromthe V2V communication device 32.

At Step ST83, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 transmits a refusal response about the backup start fromthe V2V communication device 32.

The vehicle communication controller of the second automobile 72transmits, when the V2V communication device 32 of the host vehicle hasreceived a notification of backup start from the first automobile 71that is another automobile 1, a positive or refusal response inaccordance with the status of the host vehicle.

For example, it is assumed that the first determination conditionincludes a setting in which the V2V communication device 32 of the hostvehicle cannot be used as a backup device, the second determinationcondition includes a condition that a shortage or a prediction of theshortage in communication resources of the host vehicle, and the thirddetermination condition includes a condition that the backup for anotherautomobile 1 has already been made. When the host vehicle meets none ofthe first determination condition to the third determination condition,the vehicle communication controller transmits a positive response tothe notification of backup start; otherwise, transmits a refusalresponse.

At Step ST84, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether a predetermined period has elapsedafter the refusal response was made. If the time that is measured fromthe timing of the refusal response by the control timer does not exceedthe predetermined period, the vehicle communication controller repeatsthe process at Step ST84. If the predetermined period has elapsed, thevehicle communication controller causes the processing to proceed toStep ST85.

At Step ST85, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether the V2V communication device 32 of thefirst automobile 71 is in a communicable state.

When the vehicle communication controller attempts the communicationfrom the V2V communication device 32 of the host vehicle to the V2Vcommunication device 32 of the first automobile 71, for example, andacquires an instantaneous response, the vehicle communication controllerdetermines that the V2V communication device 32 of the first automobile71 is in a communicable state, and causes the processing to proceed toStep ST86. If the vehicle communication controller acquires noinstantaneous response, the vehicle communication controller ends theprocessing in FIG. 10. At Step ST86, the vehicle communicationcontroller of the second automobile 72 determines whether the number ofchecks after the refusal response has exceeded the upper limit. Theupper limit may be several counts, for example. If the number of checkshas exceeded the upper limit, the vehicle communication controller endsthe processing in FIG. 10. If the number of checks does not exceed theupper limit, the vehicle communication controller returns the processingto Step ST81. If the margin status of communication resources at thecurrent time point changes, the vehicle communication controller candetermine that the start is possible at Step ST81, and transmit apositive response.

In this manner, after having made a refusal response to a notificationof backup start, the vehicle communication controller can redeterminethe status of the host vehicle every time when a predetermined periodhas elapsed, and can respond again a positive response when the hostvehicle corresponds none of the first determination condition to thethird determination condition.

When the time has elapsed and the state of the host vehicle and thecommunication environment have changed, it is possible to give apermission to the first automobile 71 having made a request of backupstart in priority to the other automobiles 1. Moreover, it is possibleto reduce a period when the communication resources of the host vehicleare not reserved, and efficiently open the communication resources ofthe host vehicle.

At Step ST87, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether the V2V communication device 32 of thehost vehicle has received a switching request. If the V2V communicationdevice 32 of the host vehicle has received no switching request, thevehicle communication controller repeats the process at Step ST87. Ifthe V2V communication device 32 of the host vehicle has received aswitching request, the vehicle communication controller causes theprocessing to proceed to Step ST88.

At Step ST88, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 starts the backup communication of the first automobile71. The V2V communication device 32 of the second automobile 72transmits and receives communication data with the V2V communicationdevice 32 of the first automobile 71. The cellular communication device33 of the second automobile 72 transmits and receives communication datawith the second cellular base station 7 of the carrier with which thehost vehicle signs up. The V2V ECU 59 and the cellular ECU 48 of thesecond automobile 72 mutually input and output the receivedcommunication data.

Accordingly, the communication data transmitted by the first automobile71 from the V2V communication device 32 is transmitted via the V2Vcommunication device 32 of the second automobile 72, the cellularcommunication device 33 serving as a first communication device, thesecond cellular base station 7, and the Internet 12, to the informationand control server device 2. Moreover, communication data to betransmitted by the information and control server device 2 istransmitted through the Internet 12, the second cellular base station 7,the cellular communication device 33 serving as a first communicationdevice of the second automobile 72, and the V2V communication device 32,to the V2V communication device 32 of the first automobile 71.

Accordingly, the first automobile 71 can continuously transmit andreceive, using the alternative communication by the V2V communication,the communication data having been communicated with the information andcontrol server device 2 using the own cellular communication device 33.

When the V2V communication device 32 of the second automobile 72 hasreceived a switching request from the first automobile 71 that isanother automobile 1, the second automobile 72 starts transmission andreception of communication data between the first automobile 71 and theinformation and control server device 2 by the alternativecommunication.

At Step ST89, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines whether the backup communication of the firstautomobile 71 is ended. In a case where the V2V communication device 32of the first automobile 71 is not used in the communication between thefirst automobile 71 and the information and control server device 2 as aresult of the switching processing at Step ST12 in FIG. 5, for example,based on an end request from the V2V communication device 32 of thefirst automobile 71, the vehicle communication controller of the secondautomobile 72 determines that the backup communication serving asalternative communication ends. If the vehicle communication controllerhas received no end request, the vehicle communication controllerrepeats the determination process at Step ST89. If the vehiclecommunication controller has determined that the backup communicationends, the vehicle communication controller ends the processing in FIG.10.

The vehicle communication control device 30 of the second automobile 72can execute the alternative communication with high reliability, byexecuting the backup communication for the alternative communicationwith the procedure in FIG. 10.

Moreover, the vehicle communication control device 30 of the secondautomobile 72 can make an influence to the control of the host vehicledifficult to occur, by determining the propriety of the backup as acontract side to which the backup is requested. Moreover, a user of thesecond automobile 72 can prevent the backup by the setting. The user canignore and substantially reject the demand when a request side of thebackup does not follow the procedure corresponding to that in FIG. 10.requests of backup are not accepted to make the communication resourcesof the host vehicle difficult to be tight and be short. Moreover, it ispossible to prevent backup selections from multiplex booking beforeknowing.

As in the foregoing, in the present embodiment, communication devicesthat transmit and receive communication data between the information andcontrol server device 2 and the first automobile 71 via mutuallydifferent communication paths are provided in the first automobile 71.Further, the vehicle communication controller that controls thecommunication by the communication devices sets a part of thecommunication devices as a main communication device that transmits andreceives the communication data between the information and controlserver device 2 and the first automobile 71, and sets apart of theremaining communication devices as a backup communication device thattransmits and receives the communication data between the informationand control server device 2 and the first automobile 71. Therefore, inthe present embodiment, when the communication between the maincommunication device and the server device is disconnected or becomesworse, the vehicle communication controller can switch the communicationdevice that transmits and receives communication data between theinformation and control server device 2 and the first automobile 71 fromthe main communication device to the backup communication device. Withthe communication by the backup communication device, the communicationdata between the information and control server device 2 and the firstautomobile 71 can be continued.

In this manner, in the present embodiment, the communication does notdepend on the communication by one communication device, so that thecommunication data is difficult to fail to be received due to theinterruption and the loss of the communication data during the movement.

Moreover, in the present embodiment, communication devices that transmitand receive communication data between the information and controlserver device 2 and the second automobile 72 via mutually differentcommunication paths are provided in the second automobile 72. Further,the vehicle communication controller that controls the communication bythe communication devices transmits, when the V2V communication device32 is requested to acquire communication data between the informationand control server device 2 and the first automobile 71, from the firstautomobile 71, as a backup communication device for the alternativecommunication, communication data received by the own cellularcommunication device 33 from the information and control server device2, from the own V2V communication device 32 to the first automobile 71,and transmits communication data received by the own V2V communicationdevice 32 from the first automobile 71, from the cellular communicationdevice 33 serving as a first communication device to the information andcontrol server device 2. Therefore, the second automobile 72 can relaycommunication data between the information and control server device 2and the first automobile 71 in order to back up the communication of thefirst automobile 71. The second automobile 72 can be expected to providethe stable communication by the V2V communication over long time.

In the present embodiment, the communication between the firstautomobile 71 and the second automobile 72 is executed by the V2Vcommunication. The first automobile 71 and the second automobile 72highly probably travel, for example, on the same road, so as to comecloser to the extent that allows the V2V communication. In the V2Vcommunication, the communication is difficult to cut off due to thestructural object in the surrounding of the road. The V2V communicationis different from the cellular communication and the like in the way ofchange in communication environment during the movement, if compared.Therefore, it is expected that the V2V communication can provide stablercommunication even in a place where the communication is difficult to bemaintained, than the cellular communication.

In this manner in the present embodiment, with the alternativecommunication by the V2V communication by the second automobile 72, itpossible to effectively prevent the first automobile 71 from failing touse the communication data, due to the loss of the communication dataand the interruption of the communication data that is transmitted andreceived with the information and control server device 2.

The embodiment in the foregoing is an example of the disclosure. It isnoted that the disclosure is not limited to the embodiment. Variousmodifications and changes may be made to the embodiments withoutdeparting from the sprit and scope of the disclosure.

In the disclosure, provided in the vehicle are communication devicesthat transmit and receive communication data between the server deviceand the vehicle via mutually different communication paths. Thecontroller controls the communication by the communication devices. Whenthe inter-vehicle communication device is requested from another vehicleto acquire communication data between the another vehicle and the serverdevice, the controller transmits communication data received by thefirst communication device from the server device, from theinter-vehicle communication device to the another vehicle, and transmitscommunication data received by the inter-vehicle communication devicefrom the another vehicle, from the first communication device to theserver device. Therefore, the vehicle can relay the communication databetween the another vehicle and the server device in order to back upthe communication of the another vehicle.

In the disclosure, the communication with the another vehicle isexecuted by the inter-vehicle communication device. The another vehicleand the host vehicle are likely to be close to each other, for example,to the extent that the another vehicle and the host vehicle can performthe vehicle-to-vehicle communication with each other on the same road.The vehicle-to-vehicle communication therebetween is difficult to cutoff by a structural object in the surroundings of the road. Thevehicle-to-vehicle communication is different from the cellularcommunication in the way of change in communication environment duringthe movement. Therefore, even in a place where it is difficult tomaintain the cellular communication, it is expected that thevehicle-to-vehicle communication can provide stabler communication thanthe cellular communication.

Accordingly, the vehicle of the disclosure can efficiently preventanother vehicle from being unable to receive the communication data dueto the interruption, the lack, and the like of the communication dataduring the movement of the another vehicle.

1. An external communication system for a vehicle, comprising:communication devices to be provided in the vehicle, the communicationdevices being configured to transmit and receive communication databetween a server device and the vehicle via mutually differentcommunication paths; and a controller configured to controlcommunication by the communication devices, wherein the communicationdevices comprise a first communication device, and an inter-vehiclecommunication device, and when the inter-vehicle communication device isrequested, from another vehicle, to acquire communication data betweenthe another vehicle and the server device, the controller transmitscommunication data received by the first communication device from theserver device, from the inter-vehicle communication device to theanother vehicle, and transmits communication data received by theinter-vehicle communication device from the another vehicle, from thefirst communication device to the server device.
 2. The externalcommunication system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein whenthe inter-vehicle communication device has received a search signal fromthe another vehicle, the controller transmits information on the vehicleas a response, when the inter-vehicle communication device has receiveda notification of backup start from the another vehicle, the controllermakes a positive or refusal response in accordance with a status of thevehicle, and when the inter-vehicle communication device has received aswitching request from the another vehicle, the controller startstransmission and reception of the communication data between the anothervehicle and the server device, as a backup communication device.
 3. Theexternal communication system for a vehicle according to claim 2,wherein the controller transmits, as the information on the vehicle, atleast one of a setting for use as a backup device, a state ofcommunication resources of the vehicle, information on a travel of thevehicle, or information on communication paths of the communicationdevices other than the inter-vehicle communication device.
 4. Theexternal communication system for a vehicle according to claim 2,wherein the controller makes the positive or refusal response to thenotification of backup start in accordance with the status of thevehicle that is determined based on at least one of a setting for use asa backup device, a state of communication resources of the vehicle, orwhether backup for a different vehicle has been made.
 5. The externalcommunication system for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein thecontroller makes the positive or refusal response to the notification ofbackup start in accordance with the status of the vehicle that isdetermined based on at least one of a setting for use as a backupdevice, a state of communication resources of the vehicle, or whetherbackup for a different vehicle has been made.
 6. The externalcommunication system for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein a firstdetermination condition comprises a setting for nonuse as a backupdevice, a second determination condition comprises a condition that ashortage or a prediction of the shortage in the communication resourcesof the host vehicle, a third determination condition comprises acondition that the backup for the different vehicle has already beenmade, and when none of the first to third determination conditions ismet, the controller makes the positive response to the notification ofbackup start, and otherwise, makes the refusal response to thenotification of backup start.
 7. The external communication system for avehicle according to claim 5, wherein a first determination conditioncomprises a setting for nonuse as a backup device, a seconddetermination condition comprises a condition that a shortage or aprediction of the shortage in the communication resources of the hostvehicle, a third determination condition comprises a condition that thebackup for the different vehicle has already been made, and when none ofthe first to third determination conditions is met, the controller makesthe positive response to the notification of backup start, andotherwise, makes the refusal response to the notification of backupstart.
 8. The external communication system for a vehicle according toclaim 6, wherein the controller redetermines the status of the vehicleafter having made the refusal response to the notification of backupstart, and when none of the first to third determination conditions ismet, the controller makes the positive response again.
 9. The externalcommunication system for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein thecontroller redetermines the status of the vehicle after having made therefusal response to the notification of backup start, and when none ofthe first to third determination conditions is met, the controller makesthe positive response again.
 10. The external communication system for avehicle according to claim 8, wherein when the controller attempts tocommunicate with the another vehicle by the inter-vehicle communicationdevice and the another vehicle is communicable, the controllerredetermines the status of the host vehicle.
 11. The externalcommunication system for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein whenthe controller attempts to communicate with the another vehicle by theinter-vehicle communication device and the another vehicle iscommunicable, the controller redetermines the status of the hostvehicle.
 12. The external communication system for a vehicle accordingto claim 2, wherein the communication devices comprise a cellularcommunication device and a communication device for an intelligenttransport system, together with the inter-vehicle communication device,and the controller transmits information on the cellular communicationdevice, as information on the communication path of the communicationdevice other than the inter-vehicle communication device.
 13. Theexternal communication system for a vehicle according to claim 3,wherein the communication devices comprise a cellular communicationdevice and a communication device for an intelligent transport system,together with the inter-vehicle communication device, and the controllertransmits information on the cellular communication device, asinformation on the communication path of the communication device otherthan the inter-vehicle communication device.
 14. The externalcommunication system for a vehicle according to claim 4, wherein thecommunication devices comprise a cellular communication device and acommunication device for an intelligent transport system, together withthe inter-vehicle communication device, and the controller transmitsinformation on the cellular communication device, as information on thecommunication path of the communication device other than theinter-vehicle communication device.
 15. The external communicationsystem for a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the communicationdevices comprise a cellular communication device and a communicationdevice for an intelligent transport system, together with theinter-vehicle communication device, and the controller transmitsinformation on the cellular communication device, as information on thecommunication path of the communication device other than theinter-vehicle communication device.
 16. The external communicationsystem for a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein the communicationdevices comprise a cellular communication device and a communicationdevice for an intelligent transport system, together with theinter-vehicle communication device, and the controller transmitsinformation on the cellular communication device, as information on thecommunication path of the communication device other than theinter-vehicle communication device.
 17. The external communicationsystem for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the communicationdevices comprise a cellular communication device and a communicationdevice for an intelligent transport system, together with theinter-vehicle communication device, and the controller transmitsinformation on the cellular communication device, as information on thecommunication path of the communication device other than theinter-vehicle communication device.
 18. The external communicationsystem for a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein the communicationdevices comprise a cellular communication device and a communicationdevice for an intelligent transport system, together with theinter-vehicle communication device, and the controller transmitsinformation on the cellular communication device, as information on thecommunication path of the communication device other than theinter-vehicle communication device.
 19. The external communicationsystem for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the communicationdevices comprise a cellular communication device and a communicationdevice for an intelligent transport system, together with theinter-vehicle communication device, and the controller transmitsinformation on the cellular communication device, as information on thecommunication path of the communication device other than theinter-vehicle communication device.
 20. An external communication systemfor a vehicle, comprising: communication devices to be provided in thevehicle, the communication devices being configured to transmit andreceive communication data between a server device and the vehicle viamutually different communication paths; and circuitry configured tocontrol communication by the communication devices, wherein thecommunication devices comprise a first communication device, and aninter-vehicle communication device, and when the inter-vehiclecommunication device is requested, from another vehicle, to acquirecommunication data between the another vehicle and the server device,the circuitry transmits communication data received by the firstcommunication device from the server device, from the inter-vehiclecommunication device to the another vehicle, and transmits communicationdata received by the inter-vehicle communication device from the anothervehicle, from the first communication device to the server device.